Who to watch at the European Rowing Championships

This event includes World and Olympic Champions with Poland boating their most successful rowing combination – back-to-back Olympic Champions Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz. It also includes the return together of Italy’s Luini and Pettinari. The duo were World Champions from 2001 to 2003. The racing will be intense.

Women’s Single Scull (W1x)

Following Rumyana Neykova’s comeback success at this year’s World Rowing Championships (a credible silver medal behind reigning World Champion, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus), the Bulgarian will be the one to watch in Poznan. Neykova is likely to find her biggest threat coming from Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Knapkova is regularly on the medals podium at international events. There is also talent galore in the very seasoned Russian Julia Levina and the pocket dynamite, Frida Svensson of Sweden.

Men’s single scull (M1x)

This year’s Junior Champion, Aleksandar Aleksandrov has been boosted to top Bulgarian single sculler status and after showing that he is on the edge of footing it with the best at the international level. This could be his big break at the senior level. But he will find a strong challenge from the ever improving Cypriote, Valentinos Sofokleous as well as Italy’s Luca Agamennoni. Agamennoni has nine years of international experience but recently it has been more in the team sweep events especially the men’s eight. This will be Agamennoni’s chance to show what he can do solo. Keep an eye out also for Austria’s Ralph Kreibich, a regular on the international scene and Mathias Raymond, Monaco’s sole international representative in rowing.

Women’s pair (W2-)

Seeing the name Viorica Susanu in the Romanian boat must surely bring a nervousness to the other competitors. Susanu is the reigning Olympic Champion in this event and after taking a post-Athens Olympics break she is back and again showing her strength. However, Susanu is teamed up with the relatively unknown Adelina Cojocariu as a new combination, so all eyes will be on how the combination works. Coming out of Germany’s top women’s eight, from five and six seat, Lenka Wech and Maren Derlien will be a strong combination and will definitely be a challenge for the Romanians.

Men’s pair (M2-)

It will be hard to look past Olympic finalist Nikola Stojic of Serbia. With partner Goran Jagar, the duo is the crew to beat. They recently finished sixth at the World Rowing Championships in the pair and also won a silver medal in the coxed four. Never overlook the Italians. They are regularly strong in this event and have put together the combination of Giuseppe De Vita and Andrea Palmisano to deliver the goods. Germany will also be a force with the Mueller brothers, Jan and Falk, footing it in this event.

Women’s double sculls (W2x)

Can the young Czech double do it here? They have won at the junior and under 23 level and have already shown their improving maturity in senior racing. Jitka Antosova and Gabriela Varekova of the Czech Republic will be a tough combination. But they will have their hands full with the strong – usual lightweight – combination of Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen of Finland. Italy’s Elisabetta Sancassani and Laura Schiavone have become a regular combination and will be going after the medals as well.

Men’s double sculls (M2x)

Apart from Turkey’s Kaya twins, this event sees a number of new combinations. Former under 23 medallist Kristaps Bokums of Latvia leaves the single behind to partner with Janis Timofejevs. Eric Knittel and Tim Bartels join together for Germany. Daniele Gilardoni of Italy, the perennial winner of the lightweight men’s quad, is racing with Lorenzo Bertini. Gilardoni recently added World Champion title number eight to his collection in the quad and also came out amongst the top 10 rowers for 2007.

Watch out also for Nikolay Spinev and Sergey Fedorovtsev of Russia. Both of these athletes have mounds of experience including an Olympic gold from the quad at Athens in 2004.

Men’s four (M4-)

There are some big hitters in this event with Slovenia keeping in tact their crew that finished fifth at this year’s World Rowing Championships. Miha and Tomaz Pirih, Rok Rozman and Rok Kolander will be the crew to beat. They are likely to be challenged hard by the young Greeks as well as the Czech Republic.

Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x)

On their home turf all eyes will be on Magdalena Kemnitz and Ilona Mokronowska of Poland. The duo raced at the 2004 Olympics and have remained together. But this year at the World Rowing Championships success eluded them with a 10th place finish and Kemnitz and Mokronowska will want to build up again to try and qualify for the 2008 Olympics next year at the last chance qualification regatta in June. The Poles will find their main competition coming from Chrysi Biskitzi and Alexandra Tsiavou of Greece. This duo did qualify for the 2008 Olympics through this year’s World Rowing Championships and Tsiavou also became Under 23 Champion in the single earlier in the season.

Lightweight men’s double sculls (LM2x)

Watch out for the reunion of Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari of Italy. They haven’t rowed together ever since the former World Champions failed to do well at the 2004 Olympics. The duo must have worked through their differences. Is this the start of their bid for gold at Beijing? Both athletes own lists and lists of rowing accomplishments. However, 2005 World Champions Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga of Hungary will be dishing out the speed along with Greece and the Czech Republic and the Italians must be well aware of this. Also watch out for Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland. The duo are the back-to-back Olympic Champions of this event but health problems for Sycz saw them unable to finish their race at the World Rowing Championships, meaning the pair are yet to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Seeing Kucharski and Sycz on the programme must mean they have every intention of working towards Olympic qualification.

Lightweight men’s four (LM4-)

Many new faces will be racing in this event so there is no doubt that the very established Italians will be at the head of the bunch. Bruno Mascarenhas, Catello Amarante, Salvatore Amitrano and Jiri Vleck of Italy finished with bronze at this year’s World Rowing Championships and are the same line-up that were so successful at the 2004 Olympics. It will be difficult to beat these guys although Poland could be the ones to give them a run for their money.

Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x)

An Eastern European battle could go down between Romania and Ukraine. Amongst the seven crews entered in this event these two crews stand out as the best medal prospects. All other countries are sending new combinations including a group of new faces from Germany.

Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)

With Poland not boating their three-time World Champion quad the field has opened up to the potential of a new gold medallist. Poland have instead boated a completely new line-up. Italy and Russia appear to be the most likely to be on gold medal target. Italy include a very experienced line-up, just one man different from the crew that finished fourth at the World Rowing Championships this year. Russia keep intact their seventh placed – and Olympic qualified – crew from the World Rowing Championships. Russia won at the 2004 Olympics and are pinning their hopes on Nikael Bikua-Mfantse, Alexander Kornilov, Nikita Morgachev and the only remaining member from 2004, Alexey Svirin, to go for gold again.

Women’s eight (W8+)

Entries in the women’s eight appear to be a mixture of top athletes and next level athletes. The big eight countries are there including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Great Britain, but the line-ups are different from those rowing at this year’s World Champs. Odds must favour Romania though in Poznan with multiple Olympic gold medallists Doina Ignat and Georgeta Damian-Andrunache in stroke and seven seat respectively.

Men’s eight (M8+)

Top single sculler for the Czech Republic and this year’s silver medallist Ondrej Synek is joining the team in stroke seat to give that extra single sculling drive to the line-up. Following Synek is the ever youthful Vaclav Chalupa in three seat surrounded by a host of the best in Czech rowing. This could be the crew to beat. Great Britain is boating a number of newcomers to the international scene and may be an unexpected talent knowing the new level of depth of British rowing. But watch out for Poland. On their home turf they will be wanting to impress.